Hansard

The Deputy Presiding Officer (Liam McArthur) LD

The next item of business is a debate on motion S6M-13602, in the name of Shona Robison, on Scottish Government priorities—investing in Scotland’s public ser...

The Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government (Shona Robison) SNP

Investing in our public services to ensure that they are effective and sustainable is central to delivering the Scottish Government’s priorities of eradicati...

Pam Duncan-Glancy (Glasgow) (Lab) Lab

Does the cabinet secretary accept that, if growth in this country had stayed as it was when Labour was last in government, we would have tens of billions of ...

Shona Robison SNP

I say to Pam Duncan-Glancy that, by many indicators, the Scottish economy is performing better. If we look at the recent Royal Bank of Scotland report, we se...

Miles Briggs (Lothian) (Con) Con

The cabinet secretary is calling on others to reflect. Has she reflected on her time as health secretary and on the £20 million cut to drug and alcohol partn...

The Deputy Presiding Officer LD

I can give the cabinet secretary the time back for the intervention.

Shona Robison SNP

On the housing budget specifically, it is not just the capital cut that we are wrestling with; it is the more than 60 per cent cut to financial transactions....

Liz Smith (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con) Con

Members will know that, earlier this week, the Finance and Public Administration Committee announced its latest inquiry, to investigate the Scottish Governme...

Ross Greer (West Scotland) (Green) Green

Will the member take an intervention?

Liz Smith Con

I will do so in a minute. That is an uncomfortable fact, because some people in the Scottish National Party ranks know full well that it cannot continue. If...

Ross Greer Green

To be clear, there are many parts of Scotland’s economy that the Greens want to see grow, most obviously the renewable energy sector. We supported the growth...

The Deputy Presiding Officer LD

I can give you the time back for the intervention, Liz Smith.

Liz Smith Con

I definitely do not acknowledge that. If we listen to many people who are running businesses and operating in the economy in Scotland, the last thing that th...

Shona Robison SNP

Will Liz Smith take an intervention?

Liz Smith Con

I will do so in a minute. It is simply not credible to blame everything on Westminster. I have noticed that that point has been made in many of the TV debat...

Shona Robison SNP

I mentioned earlier some of the strengths of the Scottish economy. Will Liz Smith recognise that she is not speaking from a strong position? Office for Natio...

Liz Smith Con

The UK economy has not been doing as well as it should be. My point is that the Scottish economy has been progressing even less well, and that has come about...

Miles Briggs Con

It is a broken record.

Liz Smith Con

It just goes on and on, and, as my colleague has just reminded me, it is a broken record. It will not wash with the public, because it is not correct. Our p...

The Deputy Presiding Officer SNP

I call Mark Griffin, who joins us remotely. 15:34

Mark Griffin (Central Scotland) (Lab) Lab

At the outset, I apologise to the chamber for not being on the front bench and for participating remotely. I tested positive for Covid this morning, so I am ...

Karen Adam (Banffshire and Buchan Coast) (SNP) SNP

Made a request to intervene.

Mark Griffin Lab

I will take an intervention from Ms Adam.

Karen Adam SNP

I thank the member for taking an intervention. Does he truly believe that a Tory austerity agenda, a Tory Brexit and a Tory cost of living crisis have had no...

Mark Griffin Lab

It is clear that they have had an impact. We have had 14 years of Tory chaos, but we have also had 17 years of SNP mismanagement, which have left the NHS in ...

Shona Robison SNP

Made a request to intervene.

Mark Griffin Lab

I will take an intervention from the cabinet secretary.

Shona Robison SNP

I thank Mark Griffin for taking an intervention, and I hope that he feels better soon. According to a briefing that was provided to the newspapers this morn...

Mark Griffin Lab

I do not listen to off-the-record briefings, and I would advise the cabinet secretary not to either. The Labour manifesto has been published and I am sure th...

Ross Greer (West Scotland) (Green) Green

I am glad that we are having this debate this afternoon, although I am a bit frustrated that we are not having a debate dedicated to the fiscal sustainabilit...